Hubert Davis acknowledges VCU's explosive athleticism and scoring ability, emphasizing North Carolina's need for disciplined defense to advance.
After losing to Clemson in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal, North Carolina earned a No. 6 seed in the South Region and will take on No. 11 seed VCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Rams enter the contest with a 27-7 record. They are led by Terrence Hill Jr., averaging 14.4 points per game to go along with 2.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
UNC will need to rely on Seth Tremble and Henri Veesaar to lead the way after losing star freshman Caleb Wilson to a broken thumb earlier in the season.
During his news conference on Wednesday, UNC head coach Hubert Davis gave a scouting report on VCU, calling them a versatile team with a lot of athleticism. The Tar Heels have to be ready to defend their guards.
"Obviously they can shoot 3s, but they also do an excellent job of getting into the paint, putting max pressure on the rim, and finding a way to get to the free-throw line," he said, via 247Sports. "They lead the Atlantic 10 in free throw attempts and made.
"So for us defending, defending without fouling, and finishing every possession with a box-out rebound obviously is key in every game but even more important in this game."
Defense was an issue in the later portion of the season for North Carolina. The Tar Heels will have to be at their best to make it past the first round.
Davis is putting a lot of pressure on his guys before the game. He's been taking them to the driving range to stay loose before the Big Dance.
"Stuff like taking them to the driving range," Davis said. "Getting them to understand to just dive into the team, but also I want them to enjoy this.
"I know that being at North Carolina, it can be taken for granted just to make the NCAA Tournament, but it's a real privilege and honor to be in this position, and I want them to have fun."
UNC has had a lot of adversity to play through in the winter. With a No. 6 seed, the expectations aren't on the roster to make the Final Four.
Maybe they have a surprise in them this March.